I'm Marilyn Munster

Do you remember that wonderful show called "The Munsters?" I loved that show growing up, and looked forward to it every week. My favorite character was Marilyn, the 'normal' cousin who was considered 'strange,' because her skin wasn't green, and she didn't sleep in a coffin.

Growing up, I was Marilyn Munster. My family thought I was 'strange' because I loved to read. I loved school, and anything to do with books, history, science, even math. Obviously, I was switched at birth.

I still remember hearing my parents' whispered concerns. 'What's wrong with that child?' 'She's just not right!'

I grew up in the South. My family was comprised of hard working, poorly educated country people. Their idea of a good time was to tie a string around a June bug's leg, and watch it fly around and around in circles. My brother and my cousins all liked to catch crawfish in the creek, or catch stinkbugs and smash them in someone's bedroom. Belching contests were a regular event after dinner, and if the meal provided the right punch, who knew what could transpire! My parents liked to go to the racetrack and watch beat up cars go around and around for hours on end. Their favorite foods were beans, cabbage, turnip greens and cornbread. So in their minds, I WAS strange. Alien. Frightening. I loved to read, hated racing, despised getting dirty, and gagged at the thought of turnip greens. As a result of my 'strangeness,' I was essentially left alone.

As a result of all the time spent alone with books, I was the first person from my family to attempt college, much less graduate. It was another twenty years (gasp!) after I graduated before the next person from the family got a college degree. I guess those waters run deep.

But I'm still Marilyn Munster. For all the relative success I've achieved because of my 'strangeness,' I'm still considered the family oddball. Just not right. The good news is, my kids are 'strange,' too!